Rotary passenger-carrier.



W. A. SAUNDERS.

ROTARY PASSENGER CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED LIA-12.28, 1912.-

1,050,567. Patented Jan. 14,1913.

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APPLICATION FILED MAB..28,1912. I 1 050 561 1 Patented Jan.14, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO WASHINGTON, D. C.

W. A. SAUNDERS.

ROTARY PASSENGER CARRIER. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 28, 1912.

1,050,567, Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

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W. A. SAUNDERS. ROTARY PASSENGER CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1912.

1,050,567. Patented Jan. 14,1913.

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WILLIAM A. SAUNDERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY PASSENGER-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14,1913.

Application filed March 28, 1912. Serial No. 686,797.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SAUNDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Passenger-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an amusement device consisting of a rotary wheel with cars mounted thereon in such a manner as to preserve their horizontal position while the wheel rotates and thus to revolve around the axis of said wheel and at the same time each of said cars is rotated about its own vertical axial line. This latter motion is slow and thus as the passengers are carried by this rotary passenger carrier they are enabled to get an extended view of all points of the compass.

The device is intended to be used in connection with large expositions or at sea side resorts, fairs and the like.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a front elevation of my improved rotary pas senger carrier, a portion only of the cars being shown in full lines, the others being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, only two of the cars and their bearing brackets being shown, the remainder of the cars and the bearing brackets being left off of the horizontal shafts. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of one of the passenger cars, together with a port-ion of the frame of the carrier wheel and the mechanism which imparts a rotary motion to the car about its vertical axis. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the mechanism by means of which the passenger carrier is rotated. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional elevation taken on line 77 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional elevation taken on line 88 of Fig. 3.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 and 11 are two towers. the tower 10 being provided with passenger elevators 12 and 13 and the tower 11 being provided with passenger elevators l4 and 15. A hollow horizontal shaft 16 extends from one of the towers to the other and is rigidly fastened to said towers, the towers and the hollow shaft being preferably of steel construction. Said shaft is suitably braced and strengthened by being made in two sections 16 and 16 which are strengthened preferably by girders 17.

A rotary member 18 is journaled to rotate upon the stationary shaft 16. Said rotary member is formed in two parts 19 and 20. These parts are alike and, therefore, the following detailed description of one will ap ply equally well to both. Each of said parts consists of a hub 21 adapted to rotate upon the hollow shaft 16 and extending radially therefrom are spokes or radial members 22 connected together at their outer ends by braces 23, the two parts 19 and 20 being connected together at their peripheries by cross braces 24. Angle braces 25 are also provided extending from the spokes 22 to an annular framework 26, preferably as illustrated in Fig. 2. The carrier 18 is rotated by suitable gearing.

Referring to Fig. 6, 27 is a motor, 28 a driving shaft driven by said motor, 29 a pulleyfast to said driving shaft and connected by a belt 30 to another pulley 31. Said pulley 31 is fastened to a shaft 32 to which is fastened a pulley 33 which is connected by a belt 34 to another pulley 35 fast to a shaft 36. The shaft 36 has bevel gears 37 and 38 fast to its opposite ends, said gears meshing into bevel gears 39 and 40, respec tively. The gears 39 and 40 are fastened to vertical shafts 41 and 42, respectively. The shaft 41 operates the gearing at the right of the rotary passenger carrier (Fig. 2) and the shaft 42 operates a similar mechanism at the left of said rotary passenger carrier. The shaft 41 has a bevel gear 43 fast to its upper end which meshes into a bevel gear 44 fast to a horizontal shaft 45. Said horizontal shaft 45 has a gear 46 fast thereto which meshes into a gear 47 fastto a shaft 48 and the shaft 48 has a gear 49 thereon meshing into a gear 50 which is fastened to the shaft 51. .A worm 52 is loose upon the shaft 51 and is rotated by the gear 50 when con nected thereto by a clutch 53 which is splined to the shaft 51, so that when the teeth of said clutch 53 are thrown into engagement with the teeth on the worm 52, said worm will be rotated by the gear 50, shaft 51 and clutchmember 53, said clutch being moved longitudinally of the shaft 51 to lock the gear 50 to the worm 52 in a manner Well known to those skilled in the art.

The worm 52 meshes into an annular worm gear 54 which is fastened to the part 20 of the rotary member 18, as seen in Fig. 3.

The shaft 42 operates through a similar set of gearing to that illustrated in Fig. 6 to rot-ate a worm 55 and said worm 55 meshes into an annular worm gear 56 fast to the part 19 of the rotary member 18. The worms 52 and 55 are right and left hand worms respectively and the gears 54 and 56 are right and left hand worm gears respectively, so that the two parts 19 and 20 of the rotary member 18 are rotated in the same direction and the gearing throughout is so proportioned that they rotate at the same speed. Said parts 19 and 20 are rigidly fastened to each other, as hereinbefore set forth, by the cross braces 24.

On the part 19 of the rotary carrier 18 is suspended a series 57 of cars 58, 58 adapted to hold passengers and on the part 20 is suspended another series 59 of cars 60, 60. The cars in each of said series are substantially the same and one of the cars 58 is illustrated in Fig. 5. These cars are preferably cylindrical and are provided with windows 61 and with a door 62. Said car 58 is fastened to a vertical shaft 63 which is concentric with the car 58 and rotates in a bearing 64 on a bearing bracket 65. A bevel gear 66 is fastened to the upper end of the shaft 63 and meshes into another bevelgear 67 fast to a stationary horizontal shaft 68. The shaft 68 is rigidly fastened to the braces 23-of the rotary passenger carrier 18 near the periphery thereof.

The bearing frame 65 has bearings 69, 69 thereon which are rotatably mounted upon the stationary shaft 68. The shaft 68 extends through from the outer side of the part 19 to the outer side of the part 20 and at the opposite end from that .upon which the car 58 is suspended, the car 60 is suspended in a similar manner to that illustrated in Fig. 5 and clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Through the center of the hollow stationary shaft 16 there extends a rectangular casing 70, the bottom 71 of this casing constituting a portion of a stationary platform which extends through said shaft from one end to the other, said platform being raised at the central portion 72 thereof and having steps 73 leading from the lower to the higher level of said platform. The raised level 72 of the platform extends radially from the interior of the shaft 16 and within the interior of the rotary member 18 in diametrically opposite directions, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 7.

A partition 74 extends longitudinally of the raised portion 72 of the platform throughout its entire length and another partition 75 extends longitudinally of the platform 71 through the stationary shaft 16. By these two partitions which intersect each other at the center of the shaft 16 four passageways are provided. The passageway 76 leads from the elevator 12 to the car (see Fig. 3) the passageway 77 leads from the car 58 to the elevator 13; the passageway 78 leads from the elevator 14 to the car 60' and the passageway 79 leads from the car 60 to the elevator 15. The platform 72 is sustained by girders 80 and braces 81, 82, 83 and 84.

The general operation of the mechanism hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: Passengers go up the towers 10 and 11 in elevators 12 and 14, respectively. From the elevator 12 they pass along the passageway 76 to the car 58; from the elevator 14 they pass along the passageway 78 to the car 60. After these two cars 58 and 60 are filled with passengers the clutches 53 are thrown into engagement with the worms 52 and 55 and said worms rotate the annular gears 54 and 56, thus rotating the entire passenger carrier upon the hollow stationary shaft 16. When the next succeeding cars in the two series 57 and 59 arrive in the position of the cars 58 and 60 the clutches are thrown out and these cars are filled with passengers and so on car after car ineach series is filled, and as they arrive in the position of the cars 58 and 60 the passengers step out onto the platforms 77 and 79 respectively and pass along these platforms to the elevators 13 and 15, respeetively, when they are carried down to the ground and pass out from the towers 10 and 11.

lVhile the rotary passenger carrier is rotated about its horizontal shaft 16, each ear is rotated about its median axial line by the gears 66 and 67, the gear 67 being fast to the shaft 68, and said shaft 68 being rigidly fastened to the carrier wheel frame, it follows that as the passenger carrier 16 is rotated about its axis, the bearing frame 65 will be rotated about the shaft 68 and the gears 66 and 67 are so proportioned that when the car 58' is in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 or on a level with the platform 72, the door will be in position for the passengers to enter from the passageway 76 and when the car arrives in the position of the car 58 the door will also be in position for the passengers to leave the car and step onto the platform 77. The same is true with re lation to the cars 60 and 60 Thus it will be seen that the passenger cars revolve around the horizontal axis 16 and rotate about their own median axial lines at the same time, the gearing by which they are rotated around their axial lines being actuated by the rotation of the passenger carmen The speed at which this rotary passenger carrier is driven is very slow, so that people will have an abundance of time to view the surrounding landscape from all points of the compass during a half rotation of the passenger carrier about its axis.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secureisz" 1. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a rotary member, a series of cars pivotally suspended thereon and a sta tionary platform in the interior of said rotary member from which said assengers may enter said cars.

2. A rotary passenger carrier having, 'in combination, a rotary member, a series of cars pivotally suspended thereon, a hollow stationary shaft upon which said rotary member is journaled and a stationary platform extending through said stationary shaft and radially therefrom in the interior of said rotary member, from which said passengers may enter said cars.

3. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow stationary shaft connecting said towers together, a rotary member journaled on said hollow shaft, a car pivotally suspended on said rotary member and a stationary platform leading from one of said towers through said hollow shaft, thence radially outward therefrom and from which said passengers may enter said car.

4:. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow sta- "tionary shaft connecting said towers together, a rotary member journaled on said hollow shaft, a car pivotally suspended on said rotary member, a stationary platform leading from one of said towers through said hollow shaft, thence radially outward therefrom and from which said passengers may enter said car and a passenger elevator in said last-named tower adapted to carry passengers from the bottom of said tower to said platform.

5. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow sta tionary shaft connecting said towers together, a rotary member journaled on said hollow shaft, a car pivotally suspended on said rotary member, a stationary platform leading from one of said towers through said hollow shaft, thence radially therefrom in diametrically opposite directions, and from the opposite ends of which passengers may enter and leave said car, respectively.

6. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow stationary shaft, connecting said towers together, a rotary member journaled on said hollow shaft, a car pivotally suspended on said rotary member, a stationary platform leading from one of said towers through said hollow shaft and a partition dividing the same into passageways, said platform extending radially outward from said shaft in diametrically opposite directions and "from the opposite ends of which said passengers may enter and leave said car, respectively. V

7. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow stationary shaft connecting said towers together, a rotary member journaled on said hollow shaft, a car pivotally suspended on said rotary member, a stationary platform said hollow shaft, a partition dividing the same into passageways, said platform ex tending radially outward from said shaft in diametrically opposite directions and from the opposite ends of which said passengers may enter and leave said car, respectively, and two elevators in the tower from which said platform leads, one adapted to carry passengers from the bottom of said tower to the outer end of one of said passageways and the other adapted to carry passengers from the outer end of the other of said passageways to the bottom of said tower.

8. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow stationary shaft connecting said towers together, a rotary member in two parts journaled on said hollow shaft, a series of cars on each of said parts, each car pivotally suspended on its respective part of said rotary member, a stationary platform leading through said hollow shaft from one of said towers to the other and a partition dividing the same into two passageways, said platform extending radially outward from said shaft in diametrically opposite directions and between said rotary member parts, a partition extending the entire length of said diametrically extending portion of said platform and intersecting said first-named partition, whereby a passageway on said platform is provided leading from each of said towers to a car of one of said series, respectively, and a return passageway also provided leading from a car of the same series, respectively, on the diametrically opposite side of said rotary member back to its respective tower.

9. A rotary passenger carrier having, in combination, a pair of towers, a hollow stationary shaft connecting said towers together, a rotary member in two parts journaled on said hollow shaft, a series of cars on each of said parts, each car pivotally suspended on its respective part of said rotary -member, a stationary platform leading through said hollow shaft from one of said towers to the other and a partition dividing the same into two passageways, said platform extending radially outward from said leading from one of said towers through and between said r'otarymember' parfis; partition extending the entire lengtlrof said diametrically extending portion of said shaft in diamefirica-llyopposite directions platform andi-ntersechingf said? fine-named? partition, whereby apass'ageway on saidi 1 platform is provided leading from each 0 said: towers to acar o'fi one offi said" series, respeetiv'elyand areturn passageway also pro vided leading-- from: a carof the stin'ie series;

respectively, on thedi arnetrieall yopp os'ite side of said rotary member hack to"; re-

inesses.

WILLIAM A. SAUNDERS. i Wifinesses:

CHARLES S. Groom-Ne, SYDNEY E. TAFT.

G ogi'es of; this patent; may, lieolitlhind fin five hearts dd'ressi'ng' the Commissioner of Patents.

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